What Karen Didn't See
by storyteller362
Summary: What goes on at the little house when Karen isn't exactly there? For one she misses out on exactly how two of her friends Nancy Dawes and Bobby Gianelli fell in love.


**Author's Note: Not sure if anyone is interested but I became invested in this pair when I was writing my other Little Sister story. Probably went a little too far but it was fun to write. Thanks for reading! I have a reunion fic and that's probably about it. I take suggestions if I think I can do it so let me know!  
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Nancy Dawes is eight years old and about to be nine when third grade starts. After what felt like a lifetime in second grade, she feels scared yet again. It's the same as last time she had that feeling.

"Are you okay Nancy?" asked a male voice from the side. Looking up she saw Bobby Gianelli looking down at her. Sighing she shakes her head no but doesn't move. He glances over at the others who encourage him. Reluctantly Bobby sits down next to her. "Maybe playing red light green light will help?"

Still saying nothing Nancy just pouts into her knees that she had drawn up to her chest. She peers at him to see him throw his arms up like he doesn't know what to do.

"I don't have any friends in my third-grade class," she said whining about ready to cry. "Hannie and Karen are in 3A and I'm in 3B by myself."

She feels her stomach flip worse when remembers the class list. 11 boys and 7 girls. Oh no. She smiles at Natalie Springer's name in her class. She knows that she doesn't have a best friend, but would Natalie want her? She still had Karen every other month at her mother's house but it's not the same and she knows it.

To her surprise disbelief and a scowl is on Bobby's face. "Seriously? I'm in 3B."

"You didn't want to be friends with me and Karen at school," she said her voice muffled remembering how well that went. They were girls and he wanted to spend time with the boys. It was embarrassing to be friends with girls, and he would talk to them after school.

He shakes his head and rolls his eyes at her behavior. "I'll tell you what, there's an odd number of boys and girls in our class. If you want, we can be partners for stuff sometimes. Besides, I'll still keep the bigger kids from picking on you on the bus, we're friends after school."

Nancy shot up and looked at him surprised to hear that. Her eyes wide and gave him a tiny smile. "Really?"

"Really, I'll write it down if I have to. Now can we play?"

Touched she pulled him into a hug leaving him the stunned one now.

"Okay, can I be the traffic light?"

With that they were off to join the others. Karen and Andrew may not be at their mother's house but at least she wasn't alone this summer.

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At eleven years old Nancy Dawes had more dresses in her closet. This was the age where she was finding out her own personal style and how people viewed her. Her mother called it vintage with a modern twist or classic. That didn't matter over the summer anyway as much, because nobody in the neighborhood cared. So, clad in jean shorts and a simple white v neck tee out she went.

"Why is everyone standing around?" asked Nancy joining Kathryn, Willie, Bobby, and Alicia looking at something from the edge of the street.

"The Barton's are moving today," said Kathryn. She pointed across the street to the moving van being loaded up. The Barton family had moved here back in second grade and now they're leaving.

"I wonder who will buy their house," said Willie.

"Who knows? Good riddance," said Alicia sniffing her nose in the air. Nancy shared a look with Bobby who just looked like he was going to laugh.

"Alicia that's mean," said Nancy. "I know you're upset because Meghan kissed Andrew before she left but…"

"But nothing she knew how much I liked him," said Alicia pouting clearly a little jealous. Nancy just sighed and put her arm around the now eight-year-old reassuring her.

Bobby just laughed a little at his sister leaving Nancy to shoot him a look. "Come on Alicia, she only kissed him on the cheek. That's not how you kiss a person."

Shooting him a look Nancy just shook her head not to make things worse. Alicia just stared at her brother and crooked her head before frowning. Her face scrunched up before squaring her shoulders and glared at him.

"Oh yea, how do you really kiss a person?" she challenged.

Bobby stopped laughing and shrugged himself. "You just go up and kiss them on the lips I guess."

Alicia still stared at him a bit amused before biting her bottom lip. The look on her face said that she was clearly mad at her brother for laughing at her. Nancy just waited for them to finally say something before clearing her throat.

"Why don't we play a game? I have my chalk and we could play snail or something," she said helpfully.

"Yea let's play snail," said Kathryn clearly wanting to get away from the awkward brother sister moment.

"Okay if it's so easy I dare you to kiss Nancy," said Alicia.

Color rushed to Nancy's cheeks making her face as red as her hair not looking at anyone. Bobby had frozen up for a moment and jaw dropped slightly. Then glanced over at Nancy with a small cocky smile on his face. Why did he look so confident?! He waved some and then glared at his sister for the dare. It was quiet while Kathryn and Willie peered between the two of them wondering what would happen.

"I'll do it if Nancy wants me to," he said making her heart race to where she could hear it in her ears.

"Uhh, well um," she said never been kissed before this was just awkward. "I'm going to go."

"Nancy!" called Kathryn. "Thanks Alicia."

With that she and her brother were off leaving Alicia to follow them to apologize. Bobby left behind just looked a little bewildered. Nancy had raced off and down to the brook not wanting to face to the others but not go home. That was just embarrassing before stopped just at the water's edge, failing to see if anyone had followed her.

Glancing around she stopped when she saw Bobby standing there.

"I'm sorry," he said quickly. "Really, I didn't mean to put you on the spot like that. I just thought that you wouldn't want to. I didn't think Alicia would do that; I was just teasing her a little. She's been mopey since Andrew's back at his dad's house on vacation…"

Bobby kicked a rock into the brook leaving his voice to trail off and ran a hand through his dark hair. Her cheeks are finally turning back to it's original pale color and stared at him.

"I'm going to go now, you look like you're going to kill me," he said turning to leave.

Squeezing her eyes shut Nancy didn't really think before grabbing his wrist stopping him. "Bobby, um…"

Oh no, now she lost her train of thought. Mutely she sat back against a tree pulling him down with her. "Just apologize to your sister," she said finding her voice.

"Nancy?" he asked, "What's wrong? Wait, did you want me to kiss you?" He gasped a little while her face turned red again. How many times today was she going to look like a tomato?

"No! I mean… Umm…"

They share a look with each other, and Nancy bites her bottom lip. She's eleven was that too early? Did she really want to kiss Bobby? She remembered being afraid of him until he moved here, and they gradually became friends.

Dang it why was he so confident standing there? Bobby had stepped closer to her leaving very little space between them. His dark eyes had locked with hers smiling down at her a little. Part of her wished that Karen was here to help her make sense of things.

"If it helps, I think you're really pretty," he said carefully not showing any fear. Shyly her face turned pink again. When was she going to stop blushing so much? Nancy giggled softly swaying on her feet a little. Part of her wishing that she did wear a dress after all since it made her feel prettier.

"Really?"

No boy had told her that she was pretty before besides her dad, much less Bobby. With no proper warning, he had leaned in and pressed his lips against hers. It was like the clouds parted and… actually it was nothing like that.

However, his lips were warm like the sunlight on her back and his lips were soft. Nancy kissed him back pushing forward a little. It was a little awkward though. Then finally broke apart.

"Wow that felt good,' said Bobby before both broke out into a laugh. "That was my first kiss."

"Mine too." Then sighed happy to have that and touched her mouth remembering it. "So, what do we do now?"

"Well we could go back to everyone or stay here to…"

"Stay here," she said quickly keeping him from finishing his sentence.

"And that do that again?"

Giggling softly, she looked down at the water and the rocks. "I was going to say skip rocks."

"Well that too. Hey, my family is going to Funland this week and Alicia is bringing a friend. Do you want to come with me?"

Wow indeed, he was not beating around the bush and being fearless. It was like he was asking her on a date, but it wouldn't be that way with his family around. Heart thumping, she just nodded.

"I'll have to ask my parents but sure."

Now that was a memory that would stay with her forever. They got to Funland together. Ice skating all the fun thing's kids do at that age. By the time school starts they "broke up." In eighth grade Nancy is dating Omar Harris and Bobby has Jannie Gilbert. Schedules change but they still had all those summers between with each other.

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Freshman year to junior year they switch boyfriends and girlfriends like a used bike or hand me down clothes figuring each other out and themselves. They always have summer. At least some part of the summer. Eventually he just outright asks her out rather than this game of cat and mouse.

It's on and off. Summer between freshman and sophomore year of college, she brings home a boy. It doesn't last thankfully even though he has a girlfriend. That doesn't last until it's just them together. There was a shiver up her spine.

A movie was playing in the Gianelli home. Blanket covering them, a bowl of popcorn between them and Nancy's head leaning against his shoulder. The movie from the fifties, Secret of the Inca's, playing in front of them.

"Okay so…" said Bobby trying to follow along with the movie.

"Shhh," she said quieting him down. "This is getting good."

He just shrugs and puts an arm around her like it was the good old days again. Nancy missed moments like these and just happy to be together once again. The movie comes to an end leaving them to just sit there letting the silence envelope them.

Nancy yawned keeping him close to her and smiled.

"Bobby," she said after a minute. "I like doing this with you, makes me wish that we can do it every night."

She smiled leaving him in a deep thought. It was nice to do this especially since she didn't have to go into work the next day. Her job at the library was pretty cushy if you asked her. Plus it was just so comfy sitting next to him like this without a care in the world.

Her boyfriend smiled down at her and reset the TV back to TBS or something.

"What's wrong? You look super serious," she said studying his face.

"Let's get married."

"What?!" She was pretty shocked by the sudden declaration and let her mind wander to that image. They weren't friends, not anymore, not after she realized that she was pregnant. Things were definitely rocky after the miscarriage and going away for school, even if it was just the state border away.

"Yea we don't have any debt, we both have steady jobs, and we clearly still love each other. I know I still love you. Nancy we were going to put our lives on hold for a baby and I still want to have one with you."

"Okay."

Not much to think about there thinking of the baby that she had lost. The time she had been gone and dating other people made her realize that Nancy wanted to be with him.

"And... wait, really?"

"Yea let's do it. It doesn't have to be big just family and friends. It does have to be a Jewish ceremony though."

"Whatever you want."

"Bobby I'm serious."

"And I am serious, you can do whatever you want as long as it's not super expensive. I just want to be married to you," he said playfully swatting her shoulder.

The smile on her face made her light up at the idea. Nancy Dawes and Bobby Gianelli may only be 23 but when she knew she knew. That's what made their relationship all the sweeter.


End file.
